Anime

The History Anime began about 30 to 40 years ago in Japan. The first anime artists were fans of Walt Disney, seeing his work they set out to make their own “cartoons”. Walt Disney’s influence on anime is very evident in the large elaborate eyes commonly seen on most anime characters. These artists used Japanese themes and cultural beliefs as well as fantastic art and effects to show what they thought and felt.

Japanese/American Comparison on Cultural Influences. Japanese (anime)  Japanese is known as a “wet” society, placing the most emphasis on emotions, hence the sweat drops in anime.  Japanese culture believes that nudity is okay and natural, so they have more nudity and suggestive material than most American cartoons. Most of these cartoons, however, are intended for adults. American  The U.S. is known as a “dry” society, placing the most emphasis on logic, intelligence, and gain.  American culture has an overall belief that naked bodies are naughty and should be covered up and that suggestive things should be kept out of cartoons (which are generally intended for children)

Commonly Used Anime Terms Anime- animated images with Japanese cultural themes. Otaku- a very dedicated anime fan. In Japanese it means “to be obsessed”. Bishoujo- an anime style intended for male viewers. Usually has lots of violence and fan service. Bishoujo titles include Gundam Wing, Dragon Ball Z, and Outlaw Star. Shoujo- an anime style made for female viewers. Has very feminine characters and plots and what is called “pretty boys”. Shoujo titles include Sailor Moon, X, and Angel Sanctuary.

Some Common Anime Titles Gundam Wing Dragon Ball Z Lodoss War Princess Mononoke Outlaw Star Iria The next few slides will cover these animes.

Gundam Wing Gundam Wing is one of the largest animes to ever come out of Japan. It is often called the Star Wars on anime, and it is, except Gundam has 14 installments as compared to Star Wars’s 4 (soon 5).

Dragon Ball Z Dragon Ball Z is like a cross between action and comedy. The humor of the characters as they battle the forces of evil make the show enjoyable as do the incredibly fast combat scenes.

The Record of Lodoss War The Record of Lodoss War is a very exciting anime story filled with magic, combat, and a developing romance between young warrior Parn and elf sorceress Deedlit. The story takes place on a cursed island named the Aisle of Lodoss. In the series Parn and his friends fight to stop Carla, an evil witch and the Marmo army.

Princess Mononoke Mature in theme, operatic in scope, mystical in style, PRINCESS MONONOKE is the mythological tale of a war between encroaching civilization and the beast gods of the forest.

Outlaw Star Humankind has reached the stars only to find out that they are not alone in the universe. Alien races abound, some peaceful, some not. Interstellar trade has been established, the colonization of worlds is now commonplace, and technology has advanced beyond anyone's wildest imaginations.

Iria …Iria becomes obsessed with avenging her brother’s death and hunts down Zeiram. After numerous conflicts, she finally learns that Gren was not killed, but assimilated. Iria is forced to kill her brother in order to save him. She then faces the focus of all her problems, Zeiram, and kills the beast.